Aug 14 1975
From The Space Library
A team of four physicists-Dr. Paul B. Price and Dr. Edward K. Shirk of the Univ. of Calif., and Dr. Weyman A. Osborne and Dr. Lawrence S. Pinsky of the Univ. of Houston-reported finding evidence of a particle with only one magnetic pole. The discovery of the monopole, if confirmed, could have a major impact on physics, with practical applications such as new medical therapies, new sources of energy, extremely small and efficient motors and generators, and new particle accelerators of much higher energy than any yet built.
The monopole, representing the basic indivisible unit of magnetism, would exist in two forms of opposite polarity, the north pole and the south pole. This would be analogous to the basic electric charge, the electron, which existed in the positive and negative charges, the proton and electron. Existence of the monopole had been predicted in 1931 by Paul Dirac, Fla. State Univ. professor.
The four physicists detected tracks of the particle that had apparently penetrated a sandwich of more than 33 layers of plastic and emulsion photographic film suspended from a balloon floating at 39 600 m. (Sullivan, NYT, 15 Aug 75, 1; AP, B Sun, 15 Aug 75, A3; Joffee, W Post, 15 Aug 75, Bl)
U.S. intelligence reports indicated that the Soviet Union had fired 22 missiles and orbited 9 satellites in July, making it one of the most active months in Soviet space history, the Baltimore Sun reported. In an impressive display on 2 July, the Soviets fired 11 ballistic missiles from four different sites within an 'hour, launched eight SSN-6 submarine-based rockets at 8-sec intervals, and launched an SS-7, SS-8, and SS-11 all within 2 min. Other tests included submarine missile launchings by northern and far eastern fleets, medium- and intermediate-range missile firings from Kapustin Yar, and a test flight of the new SS-17 missile which could carry four warheads. The month's only failure was the malfunction of the second stage of a SS-19 missile, a vehicle believed to be capable of delivering six nuclear warheads to separate targets over ranges of 9260 km.
The nine satellite launches included six Cosmos satellites, a Molniya communications satellite, a Meteor meteorological satellite, and the manned Soyuz 19, the Soviet spacecraft participating in the joint Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. (Corddry, B Sun, 14 Aug 75, A2)
The first 10 automatic landings of a powered-lift short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft equipped with a STOLAND automatic flight control system had been completed by Ames Research Center personnel at the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field in Calif. The STOLAND system, a versatile onboard digital computer, provided the pilot with navigation, guidance, and control information. Automatic controls, including control of the aircraft's lift with automatic flaps and augmenter nozzles, permitted steeper climbouts, approaches, and landings, offering potential relief for airport traffic congestion. Half the aircraft's lift was provided by engine thrust, permitting flight at much lower speeds than conventional aircraft.
The STOLAND system was developed by Sperry Flight Systems for use in the joint NASA-Dept. of Transportation operating experiments program and the augmentor-wing handling qualities and flight-control programs. (NASA Release 75-226)
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